


Amber

by Enigmatree



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Aria Tsuna and Byakuran are all Awesome honestly, Gen, Hyper Intuition won't teach swear words, Kinda BAMF Tsuna, Nana just wanted to help, Nana named the fic, Omniscient Tsuna, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot goes where plot goes, Poor Kyoya, Sawada Iemitsu's A+ Parenting, Tetsuya's father, The seal just made it better, Trinisette solidarity, Vongola Hyper Intuition, Will add characters as I go, but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-08-15 03:05:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8040010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enigmatree/pseuds/Enigmatree
Summary: (A ring made from the Tri-ni-sette is not simply a flame-igniter. Nor is it's destined holder simply limited by the ring.)The Vongola Intuition was Tri-ni-sette's gift to the Vongola sky, but it was Giotto's gift just as the ring was Giotto's ring. How could the safe-keepers that were the subsequent Vongola skies understand (or use) the ability to deduce the future from the past. However, like the Mare rings, the Vongola rings have also found their proper successor after years of slumber, and he will know the meaning of omniscience.





	1. The Knowledge

  Tri-ni-sette was, despite popular opinion (which was rather limited considering the small number of people in the know), both a great honour and a great power. For its skies that is. The guardians were as usual overlooked in the greater scheme of things.

  So anyway, Tri-ni-sette was a privilege as much as it was a burden, providing the three lynchpins keeping it (and thus the entirety of existence) safe and functioning with uncontested power over time.

 Well, not exactly power _over_ time. It wasn’t really omnipotence so much as omniscience.

 Not to say that this made it less powerful. A previously ordinary university student had, once upon the multiverse, conquered the world using no more than one third of it after all.

 

* * *

 

 _Once upon time, the song of 7_ _³_ _was different._

_The sea knows of the past and all that has and could have been._

_The rainbow has the future on its side as fate lays bare all designs._

_The clam rules the present, watching the past create the future._

 

* * *

 

Nana was worried. She was worried for her Tsu-kun.

She was a little air-headed and just slightly too far on the scale of optimism, she knew. People had even considered her oblivious or… _deficient_. However, none of that meant that she couldn’t see the differences little Tsuna showed.

So the mother was worried. To be fair, she had known Tsu-kun was much more than the other children since the moment she held the baby with shiny amber eyes (and fell in love with the colour) and he looked straight into her chocolate ones.

She had never once believed the doctor's explanation of it being post-birth exhaustion. She never pressed it either.

Tsuna had been a strange baby; a rarely crying, having eyes with interchanging colours, way-too-wise-way-too-fast kind of strange. Well, interchanging had perhaps been an exaggeration seeing as when Iemitsu had arrived to see their son, two days after the birth, his big doe eyes were a light chocolate and they only flashed back to that beautiful amber once during the father’s stay.

Once while the man was changing with his back turned and Tsu-kun glimpsed the (very manly in her honest opinion) scars on his back. The eyes were back to ordinary brown when he turned around.

 

Tsu-kun’s first word was “Mama.”. She had squealed all day after that.

Tsu-kun’s first question was “Papa?”. She had told him all about how Papa had work to do and couldn’t be there (for them).

Nana’s first word to explain to their child was “lie”. She hadn’t been expecting him to just give the definition (“when someone doesn’t tell everything they should and says something else”) and ask the word.

“Mama, Papa is lying to you.”

In hindsight, she should have seen the pattern.

“I know, Tsu-kun,” she didn’t ask how he knew, “do you know what the truth is?”

She still wasn’t sure if it was relief or surprise she felt when he shook his head.

“Not yet.”

Amber burned in his eyes, it sounded like a promise.

 

Little Tsuna was smart, yes, but not like other prodigies. He didn’t learn to talk or walk fast, he didn’t draw or solve equations or anything. Yet he _knew_. _Everything_. (Okay, so she was exaggerating slightly, sue her.)

Nana had tried consulting with her husband during their rare phone calls. She brought it up at least once every single time.

( _“Honey, Tsu-kun is still doing_ it _. He knew about the mall robbery before we reached the_ street _! He just pulled me to a stall and I learned about it when we reached the mall from the cashier. We missed it by_ seconds _!”_

 _“Ha-ha, Nana-dear, you worry too much, he was probably interested in the stall. More importantly, tell me about his friends …”_ )

What “more importantly”? How was it more important that his friends maybe liked him a lot or how some of them were kind of obsessed with things?  They were children, it happened!

Most likely, seeing as Iemitsu was away (not here to help), he didn’t completely understand the way Tsuna _knew_. The way those warm chocolate eyes ignited in fierce amber.

 

Anyway, the problem was that Nana was worried.

So at four years old; when Tsuna started knowing more and more, faster and faster, when he didn’t ever get surprised –only fondly amused (it looked weird on his baby face)– (even when she started feeling like a prankster trying to get him by surprise), when half the town gossip came from him (when it was all true) …

…Well, Nana wasn’t above exaggerating. She also wasn’t above telling her husband about what he wanted to hear.

(“ _Honey, do you know about Tsu-kun’s new friends? They’re all so adorable obsessing over one thing or another! And you should see how they love Tsuna, it’s like they can’t even share him! He has gotten himself a guard squad! Or, *gasp*, I know; a baby harem!”_

 _“R-right. T-That’s adorable… By the way, I’ll be visiting soon. Got to talk to my boss! I might bring him as well. Bye, darling.”_ )

 

( _The problem was that Nana was scared. She was scared and it ate her inside out that she didn’t know if it was for or of Tsuna._ )

 

* * *

 

Tsunayoshi Sawada was, from a certain perspective, a normal child. Or so he had thought.

That was until he learned that it wasn’t because the other children were inconsiderate that they didn’t eat until they were starving and woke their mother up from much needed sleep later on. Which he never had done.

It also wasn’t because people were stupid that they went towards the man – _too tight too nervous unsure bump-in-jacket weapon hopeful not-willing desperate_ – who was obviously going to rob someone. With a gun. Because he direly needed the money. Preferably someone small and weak, perhaps to ask for ransom. And a little girl just dashed to him!

But apparently, that wasn’t because she was stupid. It was because, he learned after two years of thinking himself ordinary, _she_ was normal.

It was because she didn’t _know_. And Tsuna had the Knowledge. He guessed that was why Mama didn’t like the colour orange. Why she looked nervous when he stopped her randomly (for her) on the way to the mall. ( _He didn’t need to guess. He_ knew.)

Now to one who might ask what he did with this all powerful Knowledge, Tsuna would –and would always– answer; nothing. Nothing wide-scale at least. And while this might have seemed selfish, it really really wasn’t. At least Tsuna thought so.

Because he still remembered. He remembered how he had regretted not stopping the girl from running into the man. Not saving her before she got shot when the man grew mad from all the refusals to pay. And he remembered that it was the first (and last) time that the Knowledge seemed sentient. Human, even.

 

* * *

 

Tsuna closed himself off in his room, wrapped inside a blanket, sniffling with the need to cry but not wanting to give into it.

He saw it clearly as the man grabbed the small blond girl (his age. She was, had been, his age) and twirled her around pressing the cold metal gun to her temple. Tsuna had known it! He had known this would happen…

Yet did nothing... 

After the girl’s capture it was all a blur for Tsuna. A messy, sweaty blur of yelling and screaming and then sirens and then…

A Bang. Blood splashing on the street. The feeling of his thoughts screeching to a halt. Mama trying to both cover his eyes and pulling him away at the same time. The thought; _I did this. I knew it. I did this…_

_Why?_

Then, the need to go to the living room ran through his numb body. The Knowledge. He didn’t resist.

Tsuna sat down in front of the TV and passed through the channels, all following the feeling his Knowledge gave, ending up on an animal documentary, right when the lion caught and killed the antelope. Tsuna watched in horror as the little animal was shred into pieces and eaten by the family. He then got the first coherent sentence the Knowledge ever gave him:

( _People are filming this. They knew what would happen. Why didn’t they help?_ )

_Why? Why didn’t you?_

_Just like me_. Just as he averted his eyes, he got the feeling that he should change channels. Once again, he ended up with a documentary, this time about a tiger and a deer. Like last time, the feline jumped to the small things neck – _I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m so sorry_ – and then suddenly, the deer jumped.

The deer ran away.

Tsuna watched the tiger return home to starving cubs. Three of the five cubs died that night. No matter what one had to suffer.

_Why?_

( _Life._ )

He turned the TV off.

_Is it?_

It was then that Tsuna realized that if he was any other child he would have taken it as the singular truth (Knowledge rang affirmative in his head) while all he could think was:

_Why are you showing this to me?_

( _This is the way of thinking you will, you_ do _want to follow. The one that guides to the destiny you desire and Fate has decreed._ )

Tsuna didn’t doubt it. He didn’t need to. He knew that the Knowledge wouldn’t (couldn’t) lie to him even without _knowing_ it. (Still, the Knowledge rang affirmative.)

Tsuna didn’t ask anymore. The Knowledge was a part of him, it would never again seem human by itself. He _knew_ it.

 

* * *

 

At age three, Tsuna was used to the Knowledge that would consider his wants and desires and lead him according to them. Thus when the feeling that he should go out came (like it had when a nice old lady with an extra bar of chocolate passed by while he was feeling like eating candy, but more urgently) he went along with it.

“Mama! I’m going out!” He called out before closing the door behind him.

“Be careful out there, Tsu-kun!” She called back. "Have fun!"

Tsuna really didn’t know whether he was glad that he had a mother who would give him the freedom he needed or if he was sad she could let a little three-year-old out alone. A little of both, he decided, he wasn’t a normal child anyway. Mama definitely wouldn’t leave one alone.

Maybe he was more sad than happy.

 

_“Did you hear about…”_

_“Yeah. The poor boy, but I can’t honestly say that I’m…”_

_“Yes, well, they weren’t exactly loved… But to lose both parents… He’s only four.”_

 

Tsuna slowed down to hear what they were talking about. Someone died? Must have been an accident. He would have _known_ a sickness or potential murder while they were walking around town with Mama.

 

_“It was him that found the bodies right?”_

_“Yeah, I heard that the boy saw the killers… he was the one to call the police…”_

Killers? Murder? No, that’s not… he would have definitely felt a murder waiting to happen in Namimori, _even_ if it was accidental. Potential killers, whether they were intentional or accidental ones-to-be, had a very _very_ distinct feeling. Though that might have been because of Tsuna’s priorities.

Anyway, if it was in Namimori he should have felt it… Unless…

( _İnternational hitman_ )

They _weren’t_ from Namimori. And then he couldn’t have felt their intentions of murder. If he hadn’t even seen their faces or at least passed near them, he wouldn’t know whether they would be murdered or not.

The Knowledge wasn’t all seeing, ( _yet_ , it whispered) most of its information was deducted from pure connecting the dots people found too small to see. Just like how a coin would fall heads or tails according to the spin rate, throw speed, air currents, height and so on, what people thought was luck could be deduced by the Knowledge.

(The rest of its information, however… Well, Tsuna hoped he didn’t have some sort of god in his head (The knowledge rang false))

_“You think we should go? I mean for the boy, at least…”_

_“To their funeral? No one will go. Not me either. I’m thinking more on who will take their son.”_

_“Orphanage maybe… He won’t be treated well, huh? It’s their fault after all, not a small child…”_

_“Nothing we can do…”_

 

Tsuna froze on the spot. The last time his Knowledge had echoed this painfully was when the carpet caught on fire. While they were sleeping. Near a then-unknown gas leak.

Basically an Oh-My-God-We-Were-Almost-So-Fudged-Up situation. (Weird adults… What does “fudged up” mean anyway? Knowledge? …Okay. Stay silent. Whatever...)

 

_“The Hibaris, huh. It was about time they died with all that bad karma.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, first fiction up! And who would have guessed what would happen to that one-shot plot bunny that jumped on me? I had fun though...
> 
> Btw, I apologise for both the cliff-hanger and the time jumps, it basically goes like:
> 
> Nana's PoV: Starts at Tsuna's birth ends when he's four.  
> Tsuna's PoV: 2. part> 1\. part (2 y.o.) 3. part (3 y.o.)
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it :)
> 
> Also, I'm putting these here for anyone that didn't understand:
> 
>  _Thoughts_  
>  "Talk"  
> ( _Hyper Intuition/Knowledge_ ) (In Tsuna’s PoV)


	2. The Hated Skylark Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hibari Kyoya does not owe anything. If he does owe someone, he pays them back in the swiftest method possible, whether they be a herd of shadow-men or an amber-eyed herbivore. But he pays them back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author notes at the beggining for this chap! Woah, randomly massive chapter! Now, please be warned that I am riding high on muse and may or may not continue the updates as fast as I have. Also, I suddenly like the characters that I killed of at the first chap, oh poo. And I really hope I got Kyouya relatively right. Please note that he is a four year old and in canon, he has already gone through and gotten over all these things making him ooc. Or rather nyic. Not Yet In Character. Might never be with the way Tsuna just waltzes and steps all over canon.
> 
> There are some trigger warnings on this chapter; PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), Panic Attacks, Do not copy the police who does not know what he is doing, Blood and death descriptions, NYIC characters. I think that is all. 
> 
> IF YOU WISH TO SKIP THE TRIGGERS, MOST ARE AFTER THE THIRD LINE-BREAK. IT ENDS BY THE FOURTH.
> 
> IMPORTANT; While I have done my research, I am in no way an expert or psychologist and thus you should not copy anything you read here in a real life situation. Thank you.

_  
_

_“Father, why do you call mother ‘lioness’?” Kyouya asked from his warm seat on his mother’s lap._

_“Hmm… Why do I call you that, dear?” His father smiled over his tea._

_“Well, Kyo-chan, Ichirou here was quite young back then, and he obviously didn’t know how not to embarrass himself. He had also just started his Chinese lessons, so when I introduced myself as Shi Yun, he tried, rather stupidly, to impress me by asking if it meant Lion Cloud.” She explained, thoroughly squashing Ichirou’s pride and making him sputter in between his elegant sips._

_“What does it mean then?” The boy asked ignoring his strained father._

_“My parents probably tried to go for Eclipsing Cloud or something. Who knows? It’s definitely not lion though…” She answered._

_“In my defence, she fought like a crazed beast. I remember seeing her fight a few days after our first meeting, the “Lion” name was firmly engraved in my mind.” Ichirou retorted._

_“It’s not my fault that you lot get impressed with so little, peaceful plant eaters…” Shi Yun mumbled._

_“What does ‘Plant Eater’ mean, mother?” Kyouya asked tugging her sleeve._

_“She calls me that because my side of the family has traditionally always been vegeta–” his father started but was promptly interrupted by his wife._

_“You see, Kyo-chan, it means that your father is a weak herbivore who couldn’t even bite someone ‘till death. That’s the job of stronger carnivores like me!” She bragged._

_“I’m also going to bite people to death and be a carnore like mother!” the boy exclaimed proudly as his parents’ warm laughs washed over him._

_“See that you do, Kyo-chan. I’ll even let you try it on father here.”_

_“Hey! And it’s a carnivore Kyouya, not ‘carnore’.”_

 

* * *

 

Kusakabe Masato was having a Bad Day, fully deserving of the capitals. Not only had he gotten assigned to a murder case that practically embodied pain-in-the-ass, he now had a five-year-old without parents or guardians to handle.

Not to mention that the boy wasn’t exactly helpful incarnate either.

Now, don’t misunderstand him, he wasn’t expecting a five-year-old to just cheerfully arrange his parents’ funeral, but the little spawn of hell could have gone without beating up a quarter of the officers on this case.

Beat up. A five-year-old. Either he and the rest of the police force were a hell lot weaker than they had thought they were or he was lagging behind on how children were educated these days.

Not that he could be. He didn’t even know the first thing about children, let alone enough to lag, and Tetsuya was his wife’s area. A wonder-woman, that was what she was.

Anyway, he basically was the last person anyone (even he himself, especially he himself) would choose to take a child, one who had recently watched his family get murdered, out of the crime zone.

Or so he had thought.

But really, the boy was taking this well. Except for the beat-the-helpful-police-who-came-to-help part of it, he had given testimony without prompting, explained how he didn’t have any relatives or family friends and shown the place of his parents’ will.

So maybe Masato was being hard on him by calling the boy a ‘spawn of Satan’ (though considering his surname, there wasn’t much else anybody from Namimori would call him) but it had been really _seriously_ hard to get him out of the “crime scene”.

(Not the house, never the house, Masato guessed that the Hibari would be back the moment they declared it clean and not one second later.)

He feared the day they might have to get him to the orphanage…

…if they could, that is. At least if anything short of a tranquilizer dart could make him leave.

Honestly, he didn't hate the child the way everyone else seemed to, seeing as it made no sense to do so just because of the mistakes his parents had committed. But who was he to talk? He _had_ only recently moved here with his wife (who was born and raised in Namimori). 

Perhaps that was why he was given the boy to look after for a few days despite his clear inability to do so...

Masato sighed.

“Herbivore.” The boy tagged his sleeve.

_Herbivore?_

“Yes, Hibari-kun?” He asked turning to the child.

“Are you the one who will plan the funeral?”

_That’s a weird question…_

“Mother and Father are Christian. They want a church funeral.”

“That is… you see Hibari-kun, it should be friends and family’s job to plan it… it’s not the police who…”

“Mother and Father don’t have friends and family.”

_Ughh…_

 “O-Okay… I’ll do it if there is no one else…” Masato relented.

“Hn.”

Masato tried to ignore the pang of sadness he felt at the gratitude he saw reflected in Hibari’s eyes.

 

* * *

_Mr. and Mrs. Hibari were not liked by the Namimori habitants. More specifically, they were hated with all the passion a citizen could muster and more. They were hated so very much that there had once been a “Skylark Hunting Campaign” by some frustrated residents. (It had to be stopped before gaining too much popularity and disturbing the ecosystem.) And unfortunately, this was not without reason._

_Because while they might have been the dream parents any social worker could hope for (and they had met quite a few times with all the requests for the child to be taken), they were bad people. Completely and utterly evil._

_Well, not exactly evil, but self-centred, remorseless and violent sadists. And that was pretty much as close as you could get._

_Not just that, the husband seemed to enjoy the helplessness the residents always felt when they once again failed to get his psychopath of a woman locked up after yet another violent murder and the wife was a monster in and of herself._

_The power of money surely was great. And, of course, Hibari Ichirou never had any fear of not having enough with the way he used any and all means to manipulate the Namimori economy. He was also a narcissistic bastard who could, and would, destroy all livelihood and future employment of the employees he fired for any slight, real or imagined._

_It didn’t help that he never hid but even gloated these deeds._

_The Chinese Murderer that he called wife was much worse though. It was only too obvious that the 30 “unsolved” cases of the mutilated citizens (even children!) happened within a day of their meeting up (intentionally or accidentally or by force and bribery) with Hibari Shi Yun. The witnesses were also not low in number. They were none the less, always_ always _brushed under the carpet._

_It was no wonder anyone and everyone who saw them on the streets would change sidewalks. It also was no wonder that nobody actually cared whether the killers of the Hibari parents were hired by a responsible citizen with connections or perhaps a rightfully angry ex-business partner of Hibari Ichirou._

_It was a shame that their still unexplainably human, if a little too strong and smart, five-year-old child was left all alone. Oh well, sacrifices for the greater good._

_Namimori habitants really_ really _hated the Hibaris after all._

 

* * *

 

                                   (This is after the third break-line. To avoid triggers pass to the fourth)

 

Kyouya leaned on the church wall as he waited for the Police-herbivore. He had refused to go to a “day care” with the Herbivore’s child and the mother herbivore went to work, so the man took him along to plan for Mother and Father’s funeral.

It had taken quite a lot of convincing to get the Herbivore to let him go out and take some fresh air, but it was totally worth it. How the Police-herbivore and Christian-herbivore could stay in that closed-up prison of a building for more than an hour was beyond him.

_Thwack_

Kyouya twitched and was fast to get into a defensive stance before recognizing the sound as the branches hitting a church window.

If there was one thing watching Mother’s defeat had thought him, it was to always be alert. The constant nerves and strain he felt and the insomnia it brought was no more than slight side effects.

So Kyouya believed himself perfectly justified when his body didn’t, as it never did these days, relax from its high-strung state. Mother would have still been around if he had done so in the first place after all.

( _-Mother striking the black covered men with her rod… Blood splashing, screaming, CRACK and bones break… A hand wrenching him outside his room. Pinned to the ground. Can’t breathe. Blood pounding in ears. Hearth beating in mouth. Can’t breathe!_ –)

Kyouya tried shaking his head chanting that he was fine in his mind to refocus the blurry background that was supposed to be the church. His breathing didn't obey as it grew shallower and shallower.

(– _“KYOUYA!” a scream. Mother? Can’t think, can’t breathe.                                                                           Blood. Blood on the ground. Blood on the shadows. Blood on the walls.                                                       Father talking to the shadow-men. Father’s head falling. Blood. Can’t move! Can’t breathe! Bile rising in throat trying to get out need air and get away and to breathe and to run but can’t because arms are pinned and they WON’T MOVE and CAN’T BREATHE_ –)

“You’re fine. Stop thinking!”

(– _“STOP SQUIRMING, YOU DAMN BRAT!” and it’s even heavier and hot too hot then cold, chilled to the bones and need to breath going to die!_ –)

“Calm down and breathe! You’re having a panic attack. You’re fine, we’re next to the church and there’s no danger! You just need to calm down and listen to me okay?”

_‘Trying to move his head but he can’t really, he needs air or he just might faint because he’s dizzy and it’s heavy and–‘_

“Just… Just listen to my breathing and breath like me. Calmly. Breathe and you’ll be fine.”

_‘He can hear slow breathing, trying to match it he can’t he can’t because it’s too slow he won’t get air like that!’_

“Concentrate on my breathing. You won’t faint, you won’t die, just breathe slowly and it’ll feel better.”

He slowed down trying to breathe and listened to the whooshes of air he could hear. The nausea was getting lighter but he still felt the cold chills going down his back.

“Good. Calm down and it’s going to pass in a few minutes. Now, I’m going to touch you, okay? Just on your back and shoulder, it won’t stop you from getting away.”

He could nod this time. He took a few more deep breaths and his hearth beat in his chest as it should have. He felt the expected hand stroking his back and another holding his shoulder and letting him lean.

He was fine, he could breathe and the hands wouldn’t be able to stop him from getting away. He was fine. So he slowly focused on the face of the herbivore talking to him.

And spotted the warmest amber he had ever seen in a big pair of worried eyes.

 

* * *

 

Tsuna ran as fast as he could with the way Knowledge echoed painfully in his head. Honestly, it was getting redundant seeing as it only slowed his sprint down.

Still, he tried to reach where the Knowledge indicated the church was with all he had. The bad feeling he had grew and grew, until he knew that this was most likely the most important thing to have happened to him as of then.

And when he finally reached the church, it was painfully evident that the source was the inky-haired boy doubled over next to a wall with laboured breathing. Tsuna felt a chill seep in while the warmth he always felt inside him flickered distressingly.

Obviously, there was only one choice, and that was to help the boy. How? Well, Tsuna clearly had a giant advantage.

So he immediately got to work talking to the raven-head in soothing tones and trying to keep his erratic silver eyes on his (hopefully) calm ones. He listened to the Knowledge as it guided him and let instinct do the rest.

It worked, after some time.

“Are you alright now?”

“I am, herbivore.” The boy answered. He did look better… but…

“I’m glad. I was worried for a while.” Tsuna still was, to be honest. This sharp eyed boy who Knowledge guaranteed could beat no less than twenty men also was frail and looked ready to bolt. It didn’t suit him.

“Hn.” He nodded and sat down next to the wall. Well, that was as good an invitation as any.

“So, they weren’t Buddhists? Is that why you’re here?” Tsuna asked, more for the sake of conversation than the lack of knowledge.

“You… How?” Silver eyes widening in surprise were the boy’s only reaction. He really had an impressive poker face.

( _Obvious mourning clothes, signs of PTSD thus making it murder or at least traumatizing, a few days have passed but this clearly traditionalist, and Buddhist, person came to the church, the dead people, and they were close to him, (parents? Siblings? …Parents.) were Christian…_ )

“I _know_ things. But you’re still going to hang a white lamp, right?” Since this was a traditionalist person through and through and clearly looked like he wanted to do so.

“Mother and Father don’t like Namimori and it will let everyone here know that they’re... But I want them to know I mourn for them. Even though they’re Christian and don't believe in it…”

“They _are_ Christian?”

Ouch. Mama had taught him more tact than that. But one must obey the magic all-knowing Knowledge when one must obey the magic all-knowing Knowledge. And, honestly, the boy obviously needed to talk but didn’t have someone who knew to. Tsuna could lead him where the boy needed and the rest was sure to follow.

“T-they… were…” A swallow. “Before they were killed. Murdered by those shadow-men… It-it was… It won’t happen again.”

Tsuna wouldn’t have doubted that silver glare that sent shivers down his spine, not if the Knowledge did, not if the whole world doubted it, not if those “shadow men” were _gods_. Because this was a person who could, with enough motivation, conquer the world.

(The buzz of agreement in his head was entirely too unnecessary, if slightly reassuring.)

“Those herbivores will be bitten to death.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- According to wikipedia, 99% of the Japanese are Buddhists. Also according to Buddhism, you hang a white lamp next to the front door to show that you're mourning.  
> -I hope I managed the flashbacks. If anyone has suggestions on them please feel free to help XD  
> -Shi Yun is written, respectivly, with the characters for eclipse and cloud. The first character 'Shi' has the same reading with lion, 'Shi'.  
> -I hope that no one gets offended by my touch upon the religions of the characters. No offense or insult perceived was meant to be one.  
> -Kyouya is at first obviously in denial and most likely showing signs of traumatization, however, Masato doesn't understand children in general and children who can beat policemen even less thus has no idea whatsoever. The mother-herbivore is a "Skylark hater". Also, PTSD has 'being uncomfortable with crowds' as symptom. Who knew?
> 
> Please don't force anyone that is traumatized talk to you about it, while Tsuna here intuition-knew what Kyouya needed, what you do just might be the last thing said person needs. I cannot stress this enough; this is a work of fiction, do not copy!
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	3. The Police-Herbivore and A Certain Mystery Person

 

 

When Tsuna returned home it neared ten o’clock. Reasonably, his mother was pretty upset. The brunet got a tight hug and worried fretting before Nana felt assured enough to get angry.

“Tsu-kun!” She scolded, “Do you know how worried I was? It’s almost been 8 hours! I kept thinking that something might have happened to you. And I couldn’t even leave the house! What if you had come home without someone waiting there for you?”

“I’m sorry, Mama. But I made a new friend,” the world took a slightly burnt tinge, “a very special one who will stay through thick and thin.”

“O-oh.” Came the breathless whisper. Tsuna always wondered whether these gasps of Mama were in awe or in terror. Knowledge never seemed to be able to distinguish it either.

“Mm. I’m even going to meet him after lunch tomorrow.” He beamed at his mother. Honestly, Kyouya was so shy, acting like he accepted because of a favour he supposedly owed to Tsuna. Tsuna decidedly ignored Knowledge’s vehement denials of Hibari Kyouya being even _relatively_ shy.

“That’s great, dear! I’ll make you some desserts to eat together!” She beamed back. Oh, it seemed that her general happy exuberance was back.

“Thanks, Mama.”

 

* * *

 

The next day, Tsuna was under the shade of a tree in the park, munching on Mama’s snacks while Hibari was perched on one of its branches much like his namesake, the skylark.

“Fluffy-herbivore.”

Tsuna giggled at the name before biting on his chocolate cookie. Mama really made the best sweets.

“Yes, Hibari?”

The raven-head glared at the offending snack. It was admittedly a little worrying that the boy refused to eat anything “herbivorous”, he would have liked the cookie. Tsuna wondered if Hibari could actually go on without eating anything plant-related. Oh well, the “Police-herbivore” would manage it.

“You told me you _knew_ things. Find me the Shadow-herbivores that murdered Mother and Father.”

The brunet’s suddenly serious eyes snapped at sharp grey ones. He contemplated the request as amber bled into his eyes.

Yes, he could find the “Shadow-herbivores” from the information Hibari had given the day before. Hell, he could tell of their plans, future route for at least a week _and_ the reasons for their hitmanship career given that the day before, the carnivore had given more than half his life-story in one go. He really must have wanted to get it off his chest. The brunet was honestly surprised that Hibari hadn’t yet tried to get rid of the witness, namely Tsuna.

( _Honour_ , declared Knowledge, _honour, favours and a slight warmth._ )

But the important question was whether the raven-head could do something, other than die obviously, when he found them. On one hand, this was a five-years-old child who wouldn’t even reach their knees at his most impressive. On the other hand, however…

Tsuna, with all his mighty wisdom, couldn’t justify Hibari’s theoretically impossible strength with any real explanation other than inhuman talent and perseverance that couldn’t, not if the world still had some natural laws, be expected of a toddler.

The brunet _knew_ that Hibari could, easily, beat some seven odd grown men. And he could also, almost just as easily, “bite the Shadow-Herbivores to death”.

Seven half-trained amateur hitmen-for-hire were nothing before the force of nature that was what Tsuna had come to know of Hibari Kyouya during these meagre two days. Especially if he shared some Knowledge with the raven-head.

“Alright. But take your weapon with you. And I’ll tell you of their strengths and weaknesses.” Tsuna nodded sharply, breaking their rather remarkable gazing contest.

“I don’t–” Hibari started.

“No. You need to be in tip top condition with your best equipment if you don’t want one or two of the Shadows slipping away, or worse, deciding that you’re powerful enough to warrant a sneak attack.” The brunet interrupted. There was some more impressive (for very adorable toddlers), silver vs amber glaring before Tsuna was awarded with an affirmative “Hn.”.

“Thanks. Soooo… Do you really not want some cookies?” He asked. Hibari eyed the snack with distaste before going back to lying on his back.

“Hn. Herbivorous food.” And, really, how could the exactly same sounding grunt be used for both positive and negative answers? Tsuna wondered what it said about him that he could distinguish between them. Hmmmm… Yeah, let’s blame it all on Knowledge.

 

* * *

 

To say that Masato wasn’t immensely worried when Hibari didn’t come home that night was a lie. Saying that he would have mobilised all officers under his jurisdiction and then some to conduct a town-wide search when the boy wasn’t there by noon the next day was not.

There was only too much that could have happened to him alone outside. He was hated by more than half the town, his parents had been murdered by _hitmen_ , for god’s sake! They could be after him! Or, did he even know how to cross the streets? Or would he get crushed under a crowd? He seemed to have some breathing problems, what if he fainted somewhere?

There were also the very suspicious inquiries that the child had been making. At first, Masato hadn’t seen anything wrong with them, while he would have expected a ‘where are my parents’ instead of ‘what have you learned about those herbivores, police herbivore’, after all what did he know about children? But even he should have gotten suspicious with the insistent information gathering Hibari-kun had done.

And he would have, if the boy then hadn’t suddenly given up. What had he meant by ‘going to unexplainable sources’ and ‘asking to the fluffy herbivore’ anyway.

In hindsight, perhaps Masato shouldn’t have let a five-year-old go out alone, but his wife had allowed the boy and she was just that much more responsible with children. He had thought that seeing as Hibari-kun was inexplicably mature, knew how to take on multiple trained men and was most likely both a fighting and a general genius, he would have been fine.

He should have known better than to let a child that young go alone.

And while he knew not to insult all the capable fathers out there by attributing his incapability of understanding anyone below 21 to his manhood, he really _honestly_ didn’t know what a child could or should or should not or even could not do.

He had trusted his wife with that. He had trusted his wife with a recently orphaned, generally hated, emotionless (or maybe that was 'in shock' and _how had he not seen it before?_ ) and ridiculously powerful child but he had trusted her.

She hadn’t even looked once at Hibari-kun since he started staying with them, had she?

They would have to have a long, looong talk about blaming a person, a _child_ , for someone else’s faults. But not before he squeezed his employment privileges dry trying find a certain missing boy.

Admittedly, he scared himself with how much he had come to like the ungrateful spawn of hell in just a few days. But, as he went out to walk around the town in the hopes that he might find Hibari-kun before he involved the police, there was only single-minded determination in his mind.

In the end though, let alone conduct a collective search, he didn’t even get to go search himself before he was dragged onto bench by a small, even smaller than Hibari, (fluffy) brunet child.

“Hello, nice to meet you, I’m Sawada Tsunayoshi.”

 _A small, strangely articulate child_ , Masato thought, mind naturally going to demons with obsessions over eating habits.

“Okay… And I’m–“

“Kusakabe Masato, right? Hibari lives with your family?”

“Oh, did he tell you about–“

“Your name, Kusakabe-san? No, he knows that he doesn’t have to. Anyways, I apologise for continuously interrupting you, but I have to meet someone after this so I’m in a hurry. I have a few things to tell you, if it’s alright.”

 _A small, very_ very _weird, strangely articulate child_ , he corrected himself.

 

* * *

_Come ooooonn….._

Tsuna added another mental sigh to his already innumerable ones.

“But they are very dange–”

“Hibari can do it.”

“I appreciate your trust in–”

“ _God_! He _can_ _do_ it! I’m not saying this because I trust in him, though I do, it’s because I _know_.”

“You may believe so, but he is a five-year-old child and you’re also–”

The brunet used his Knowledge like never before to find something, _anything_ , to say that could make the ‘Police-herbivore’ go back home. His brain worked overtime trying to analyse the Kusakabe’s psychology and habits before he finally chanced upon the one thing that could potentially distract the worried man away.

Honestly… Couldn’t he see that Tsuna had someone ( _very important in status and significance_ , according to Knowledge) else to meet that day? Hopefully before dinner time as well…

“I apologise for my brashness, Kusakabe-san, however I should to talk to you about one more thing before I need to meet up with someone.” Tsuna interrupted with a smile.

(Thank god for Knowledge supplying him with the correct forms and necessary vocabulary, this conversation (and many more) would have been a thousand times harder without them. The brunet wondered how the only-one-year-older Hibari could keep up with him without Knowledge of his own.)

“You see,” he continued, “I’m concerned over the treatment my friend has been given during his stay at your house.” Oh, was Hibari going to kill Tsuna for using him as a distraction…

“What do you mean?” The police asked, wide-eyed and curious.

“It is well known that your wife, Kusakabe Amaya, is an avid Skylark-hater. You on the other hand, have not even realized that he is trying to get through PTSD, alone I might add.”

“PTSD?!”

“See? How have you not noticed his hatred of crowds? Or nightmares? The claustrophobia? The Hyper-arousal? The obsessions?” Tsuna rattled on with anything Knowledge said, not actually knowing (or rather not having known, he corrected himself after a short burst of Knowledge) what most meant.

“T-That is…” And just on time, hopefully Kusakabe-san would leave right about… now, actually. Time was ticking, the person was coming.

“Maybe instead of looking for Hibari, who doesn’t even need help, you could resolve things with your wife?” The brunet asked, fully aware that the man wouldn’t leave the missing-child business alone but hoping that he could at least leave for now.

“I… I need to go.”

 _There_. Now he could wait for the unknown important person (in the peace of knowing that he had gained Hibari enough time to reach the hitmen). Said person was going to arrive soon, according to Knowledge.

As expected, he didn’t have to wait long to finally learn the identity of his mystery guest. In fact, the second his eyes caught black and white with just a hint of orange, he was assaulted by such a huge onslaught of information that he had to double over to gasp for breath.

“Ah! Tsunayoshi-kun?!”

Tsuna took a deep breath and turned sad eyes towards the pitiful (though she probably didn’t want it) girl before him.

“Giglio-Nero Aria?”

The Future for his Present, the End to his Middle, the Second one in their set of Three. A six-year-old…

… _Mafia boss?!_

 

* * *

 

Kyouya flicked his newly-stol *ahem* _acquired_ tonfas to get rid of the blood.

_Herbivores… To have killed Mother while they were this weak… They must have used some herbivorous methods._

He sneered in disgust at the bloody figures on the ground. They wouldn’t be missed.

And while the fluffy herbivore hadn’t been wrong in that three of them had tried to flee, it had been rather easier than he had imagined revenge would be. Maybe he would keep the weapons though, the tonfas were a great help. Not that the raven-head couldn’t have taken them out regardless.

Case in point; disappointing herbivores.

It had been harder to get here during the two days he had used his small body to hide and hitchhike on the way. Kyouya honestly couldn’t wait to grow up.

Or to get an adult who would listen to him. Like a servant.

He should perhaps actually see to that…

Anyways, it was at least another two days of hiding in baggage for Kyouya.

_How disgraceful._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! This one doesn't have a specific subject, but there are many important future references! Hope it wasn't too slow-going.
> 
> Btw, Aria is right now, as I mentioned it in the chapter, 6 years old. This, I calculated with some artistic licence, from Yuni. Assuming Yuni was 7 y.o. during the TYL battle with Byakuran, she would have been -2/3 y.o. during the start of the series, which is 11 years away. If, considering that the Sky arcobalenos needed to give birth very young as they died very young, Aria gave birth at 20/21, she would be 17/18 at the canon start and 6 y.o. in this chap!
> 
> Also, fluffy herbivore. God I love my subconcious for this. Also also, Carnivore-Hibari eats not as Herbivores do.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it! XD Till next time!


	4. Interlude - Masato's Carnivorous Misadventures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anyone was curious about the reference to this interlude I made at the 3. chapter but here it is! Masato trying to be a responsible adult. Pitiful Herbivore... doesn't know what he's trying to do...

Masato watched the five-year-old eat with ever growing disbelief. How did the boy _do_ that?!

“Kyouya-kun… You can’t just eat the meat of the meatballs…” Yes, Kyouya could, and would, apparently take anything plant-related (including vegetables, sugar, spice and so on, and _how?!_ ) out of his food, even meatballs. It was giving Masato a headache and a half.

“Quiet, herbivore. Herbivores eat plants, I eat meat.” Came the frustrating answer.

 _Humans are all omnivores!_ Was what he wanted to say, but would that work? _Of course_ not.

“ _Please_ , Kyouya!”

“No.”

“You _can’t_ –”

“I can.”

“ _Argghh!_ ”

And, thus started Masato’s adventure of making Kyouya eat like a human again.

Poor Masato…

 

* * *

 

“Kyouya-kun,” Masato started when he entered the living room, putting the tray in front of Kyouya. And was that _another_ animal documentary the boy was watching? Masato feared the day Kyouya would discover horror movies.

“Police-herbivore.” That damn brat!

“I brought you crackers! You can eat them while you watch your… Is that documentary R rated?!” Masato exclaimed as he watched three lions rip a giraffe into pieces with blood and gore painting the screen.

“Ratings are for herbivores. And carnivores don’t eat crackers.”

“Kyouyaaa!!!”

 

* * *

 

Masato had finally had enough. So he brought out a very secret, very powerful, ace-in-the-hole weapon.

“Kyouya-kun.” He started with utmost gravity, putting a box on the table.

“Herbivore.” Kyouya answered.

“I have brought something to eat after dinner,” if just steak could be called dinner anyway, “ _mochi_.”

Masato smiled in satisfaction at seeing it have the desired effect. Kyouya looked hungrily at the box, slowly opening it to start eating.

The boy took one mochi and brought it up as Masato watched with bated breath.

_Almost, almost…_

“Herbivore.”

_C’mon! Almost…_

“What is mochi made of.”

_Noooooooooooo…_

“W-well… You s-see… Erm,” Masato mumbled, “…rice.”

“Herbivorous food.”

“Kyouya, no…”

“Hn.”

 

* * *

 

_You know what? I give up._

Masato sulked while preparing a plate of hamburger steak with vegetables.

_You hear me life?! I give up! I don’t care anymore!_

“Police-herbivore.”

“Here you go Kyouya-kun.” Masato said as he put the food in front of the small carnivore…

…God, he sounded like Kyouya now.

“I give up, Kyouya-kun.” Masato quickly put another plate for himself while he talked, “You just eat whatever you want. Why do I even bother with the vegetables, you’ll take them out any–”

And he promptly shut up when he glimpsed the empty plate on the table.

“Kyouyaa…” Masato said tearfully.

“Hn. I like hamburger steak.”

 _He ate the vegetables!_ Masato could have danced right then. _He ate it because he felt bad for me?_

“I learned that bears eat plants.”

 _Of_ course _not. God forbid that Kyouya one day show_ compassion _. That will be the apocalypse…_

“Bears are carnivores.”

_No… No they are not… They are omnivores…_

But what kind of an idiot would say that? Certainly not Masato. He only hoped that Kyouya wouldn’t learn of omnivores for a long _long_ time.


	5. The Consequence of Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuna and Aria.  
> Present and Future.  
> (The Tri-ni-sette is not renown for its constant changes but maybe, just maybe, it should start with the new trend called 'exceptions' before Tsuna bends it under his feet to help his friend.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm on a roll today. Well, this chapter is very Tri-ni-sette focused but we'll continue with everyone else in the subsequent chapters. Hope this helps with the world-building.  
> Also, assume that everything but Tsuna is canon (or head-canon).  
> Enjoy... XD

The Tri-Ni-Sette was as spontaneous and volatile as it was repetitive and ever-lasting. This was normal, of course, it was after all impossible for human words, or otherwise, to describe, or even understand, a system so deeply etched in the powers that ruled existence itself.

However, to call something that had lasted since the beginning of time and had not yet made a single exception in its unchanging rules, spontaneous? Aria had always thought that it didn’t make much sense.

_“You see, il mio fiore, yours is the beloved generation of Fate. We don’t know why you, we don’t know why now of all times, it happened without rhyme or reason. But I do know that the Three Skies that you will hopefully be able to be a part of will define the world –no, all the multiverse–, you are the strongest Arcobaleno Sky and have the most in-depth Sight in all of our family. Your Past and Present will no doubt be immensely strong as well. After all, what is life without balance?” Luce, her Mamma had explained to her._

_“But Mamma, if they are already my generation, why do you say ‘hopefully’?” Aria had been young back then, young and inexperienced, Luce had given her such a sad smile for that question._

_“Do you remember what I told you about power, Fiore?”_

_“Yep, I do!_ With great power, comes great burden; with great authority, comes great responsibility; with great desires, come great consequences. _”_

_“Remember that sentence, Aria, you will need it. You are one third of the strongest set, that is your great power. I have left you with the seven most powerful Mafioso as they were never mine to take, that is your great authority.”_

_“But what about my desire?”_

_“That is yet undecided, il mio fiore. You will choose your desire. But, one advice from Mamma to child; consequence comes from the word, ‘following’. What follows your desires need not be negative. So choose well, my flower, so choose well.”_

 

* * *

 

When Nana opened the door to let her son in, she came face-to-face (or rather, torso-to-face) with a beautiful child a few years older than her Tsu-kun. Her first reaction was the question,

 _Is this his “lifelong” friend?_ To which the answer was obviously ‘No.’ since that friend was a he.

Her second reaction was the conclusion:

 _Did she run away from home?_ Judging by her tattered clothes and the dirt and leaves on her, she must have run through a forest or perhaps crawled on the floor.

Only on her third reaction had Nana been able to give a welcoming smile and invite them in and on a couch.

“Welcome home, Tsu-kun! Who is your friend?” She asked. And, really, who was this escapee? But then she actually looked at them and realized; _Ah, so that’s why he brought her._

“I’m back, Mama.” Tsuna replied. They were both smiling at her in that mysterious way that made her feel like a child trying to sneak around their parents.

How could she possibly not recognize the similarity? It was impossible. The same calm glow around them, the old-eyes and warm smiles. They were what one would define ‘birds of a feather’ with. As far as Nana was concerned, Tsu-kun would have brought her here even if she was a serial-killer, let alone a simple run-away.

“This here is Giglio-Nero Aria-san, Mama. She is in Namimori for a while and I was hoping she could stay with us a few days.” Tsu-kun explained making Nana nod.

“Of course she can! Your friends are more than welcome here. I’ll prepare the guest room for you Giglio-Nero-san.” And she probably didn’t have anywhere else to sleep anyway.

“Oh, please call me Aria, Sawada-san, Tsunayoshi-kun, I’m just six years old.” _Even if you don’t act like it._ “And thank you very much. I hope I’m not imposing too much.”

Nana blinked at that; such a polite and sweet girl. Maybe she had a really good reason to run away from home. Oh well, not any of her business.

“Not at all, it gets lonely with just me and Tsu-kun all the time. And you can call me Nana, or just Mama like Tsuna does.” She responded.

“Nana-san, then. I don’t think my Mamma would appreciate it otherwise.” Aria laughed.

“Is that so? Well, I was just starting dinner, is curry alright with you, Aria-chan?” Nana smiled before going to the kitchen at the girl’s happy nod. She smiled at the warmth that fuzzed in her chest when Tsu-kun sent her a gratitude filled gaze.

Honestly, that boy… There was need to be thankful just for this. She was his mother, of course she would help him and his friends.

 

* * *

 

Nana turned the water off after washing the vegetables. Only then did she realize how much sound travelled between the kitchen and the living room.

_(“I really would appreciate it if you could divulge some information on this connection Knowledge is certain we have, Aria-san.”_

_“You don’t know?”_

_“Are you asking me if I know about what things we are, or about what it is that we are?”_

_“I see. What it is that we are… Honestly, I can only tell you however much I know. First of all, we are two skies of the first true set of Tri-ni-sette. I’m the Future and the Arcobaleno Sky while you are the Present and the Vongola Sky with your Hyper Intuition, or Knowledge as you call it. The last of the set is the Mare Sky.”)_

She cut some carrots and potatoes as she repeated the mantra: Not my business, in her head. How nice of her husband to have given her so much practice for today.

_(“Tri-ni-sette? …I see.”_

_“I guess you still need a starting point to get any knowledge?”_

_“Still? So it won’t stay that way…”_

_“Most likely not. But you’ll see. Only the Mare Skies can See without limit from the moment they are Mare.”_

_“Because their Sky is chosen of people who can already see some?”_

_“Exactly. So you do know.”_

_“I’m still learning.”)_

Nana decided that it showed her love for Tsu-kun that her ears were infinitely sharper this time than when her husband had gone out to the yard to meet some ‘rude guests’ of his. Those holes on the wall were hard to fill too!

_(“Just some Sky to Sky advice: don’t get used to relying on your Knowledge.”_

_“Why?”_

_“It isn’t human you know, just doesn’t share the same information processing and storage with you. It won’t always stay like that; you need to be able to make your own decisions.”)_

The brunette woman chewed her bottom lip as she put the pot on the stove. This had something to do with the amber that she loved as much as hated didn’t it? Although it was good that she couldn’t really understand what they were talking about, she could still guess that it was an important discussion if Tsuna was so concentrated that he didn’t notice her eavesdropping.

It honestly wasn’t any of her business. She definitely shouldn’t be listening to it. But she was worried for her sweet son. Even if said worry didn’t make sense…

Nana teetered around the kitchen in uncertainty before decidedly marching to her small portable radio and opening the music. Immediately, the murmurs of conversation ceased as she couldn’t hear them anymore.

Nana was, after all, the absolute best at keeping her nose with herself and out of someone else’s situation. Even if said someone was her son. Even if she was worried for her family.

Even if she was scared of the enormity of said situation.

 

* * *

 

Tsuna’s mind was whirling with all the information even after dinner while he was showing Aria her room.

“Thank you Tsunayoshi-kun. For allowing me to stay.” She said, sitting on the freshly washed bed-sheets.

“Aria-san…” Tsuna hesitated briefly before steeling himself to continue, “What has happened to the previous Sky Arcobaleno?” There was a brief surprised silence before the girl huffed a laugh.

“You really are the Present aren’t you? To notice that already…” She gave him a wry smile.

“Aria-san.” Tsuna reprimanded at the change of subject.

“Fine, I’ll tell you, Tsunayoshi-kun. Three months ago, Mamma disappeared. Completely. There is no doubt that she is going to die very soon.” She explained, her wry tone changing into something softer, more fragile.

“That means…” Tsuna exclaimed.

“Yes. I will become the Sky Arcobaleno in one week.” Aria finished before giving another huff-laugh, “Did you know, Tsunayoshi-kun? I used to love those white dresses Mamma wore. I don’t even want to touch them anymore. I probably won’t wear them, maybe instead something more Mafioso…”

“You don’t want to be an Arcobaleno, do you, Aria-san?” The brunet inquired gingerly, already knowing the answer.

“Mamma never wore anything but the dress. She was strong, oh so strong that she could condemn seven new friends to an eternal curse. Oh so strong that when Fate showed her everything, she still allowed it to run its course. Oh so strong that the consequence to her desires wasn’t against anyone _but_ her family.” Aria said as her words became harsher and harsher, “So, no. No, I don’t want to be the Arcobaleno Sky.”

Tsuna stood in silence for a while before ignoring how Knowledge said to “tell her that someone had to do it” (that might end up best for him, but not for this tentative friend/comrade of his) and slowly sat next to her.

“Then, it’s good that you’re not nearly as strong as her. Because I would not, wouldn’t want to, be able to keep up with such ‘strength’.” Tsuna declared quietly.

“You wouldn’t have needed to,” Aria answered, equally as soft, “If I had the strength to obey Fate, I wouldn’t have flown here the moment I Saw one of my counterparts. Actually, you weren’t supposed to meet me at all, I was just going to take a peek in case I didn’t…”

“Live long enough to meet us?” Tsuna finished.

“Yes… Mamma always said; with great strength, comes great burden; with great authority, comes great responsibility; with great desires, comes great consequences. Sky Arcobalenos have the loyalty of the seven strongest people, no matter what. So in return, they die early trying to balance it.” She made it sound so reasonable, like it wasn’t her death.

The brunet took a deep breath, trying to get his mind in order, Knowledge for once wasn’t helping with the insistent advices of “Let her die”. And, again for once, Tsuna knew that what was best for him wasn’t what was best for him. This time, Tsuna got to choose who he could or couldn’t let die.

And he wouldn’t let Aria die, not because she was a Sky Arcobaleno who would try to control the Fate that had controlled them for so long, not because, if he helped, she wouldn’t sacrifice herself to protect the order of existence that in turn protected them all. And _definitely_ not because it would be the best for _him_.

“Aria-san, I only hope that you’re ‘weak’ enough to want to survive. To desire for yourself and let the world bear the consequences. We’re bigger, Aria-san, the world is older. It’s stronger. Share your burdens. The three Skies rule time, we’ll make Fate bend to it.”

There was one long silence filled with muted emotion. Then another huffed laugh came.

“You are playing a dangerous game Sawada Tsunayoshi, Sky of Vongola, for a mere human.”

_Thank you._

 

* * *

 

Nana got out of the bath and, before going down to find her Tsu-kun and little Aria-chan, decided to make sure everything was acceptable in the hastily prepared guestroom.

Imagine her surprise when she came across Aria-chan and her notoriously proper son long asleep on the bed. She just couldn’t help it when she cheerfully took a few photos to put on the fridge. They just were _so adorable_!

She then proceeded to, as her matronly instincts demanded, cover them up with a blanket and wish them goodnight. Even if they were already asleep.

Nana could get used to several children. Maybe she should ‘talk’ about it with Iemitsu.

 

* * *

 

Tsuna opened his eyes under a warm blanket and to silent but mirthful giggles before closing them again, this time with a smile.


	6. The Rain; The Tears of Heaven

“Should you really have done that?” questioned Aria. Tsuna turned over his shoulder to look at the beautiful six-year-old. He tilted his head before smiling:

“I think that this new look really becomes you.” He answered cryptically, “But who am I to talk? I’ve been wearing that for a long time. And a white dress wouldn’t suit me anyway.”

And she did look unexpectedly good in a red button-up and black pants (apparently her once second favourite outfit after the now hated dress, but also now her favourite, minus the pants) for a child. But Aria furrowed her brows slightly, trying to understand the metaphor, before her expression cleared up.

“Defying Fate, huh. Well, it’d be hard for that kind of a confidence not to look good on someone.” She reassured, just as allegorically. There was a frustrated gurgle from behind them.

“What’s wrong Kusakabe-san? You sound strained.” Tsuna snickered, “Is this about you losing a bet to a five-year-old?”

“Hn.” Hibari added (?) mockingly (?!).

It was only too funny that the man had bet with Hibari; a bet that let alone friends, the five-year-old couldn’t even find himself someone to eat lunch with. Tsuna had been all too happy to go out for sushi with him, so sadly Kusakabe lost the bet and had pay for them all.

“I-it’s not that!” Much absent staring later, “No, really! It’s because you three are such weird children that I’m so, so... ermm…” He tried to explain.

“Flustered? Confused? Disturbed? Out of your depth?” Aria started guessing immediately.

“Eeh… Yeah, sure, why not? Let’s go with flustered.” Kusakabe nodded, “So?”

“So?” Tsuna repeated, avoiding the question despite knowing the non-existent amount of good this would do to him.

“ _So_ , why are you so weird? Don’t talk to me about geniuses, Hibari-kun here is one, you two on the other hand… You have something different… And then there is also how pale Yamamoto-san was after your ‘Private Conversation’ whatever the he– hen you told him.” Listed the police-officer, “Don’t even get me started on the way you two have been talking around and under me the whole day and I have yet to even understand your subject.”

“You’re quite observant Kusakabe-san.” Aria complimented, impressed, before exchanging looks with Tsuna and letting him take over the conversation.

“But you know, it really isn’t healthy, or well, life conservative, to know some specific things.” The brunet started, not meaning to threaten but instead to actually warn, “This? This is one of them.”

The only adult among them slowly paled and unexpectedly seemed to take the small Sky’s words seriously. This one really had great observational skills. He would not pursue this subject anymore, of this Tsuna was entirely certain.

Another thing that the boy was sure of was that the look Hibari sent his way meant an explanation (only to the Skylark, at the very least) was in order.

Tsuna answered with a smile and a barely-there nod.

Hibari was different after all, he could be told.

 

* * *

 

 

_“Look, I have no love for her, it’s only because of you that I’m saying this. You couldn’t leave your life behind. Don’t let her berate your son for this. Don’t let her leave in anger or you’ll never see her return.”_

_“Y-You! Who do you think you are, insulting my wife like this?! I don’t have anything I’m hiding from her!”_

_“You have a very special child Yamamoto-san. He’s not just important to you, but also to a whole lot of other people. Keep him safe.”_

_“…”_

_“Please.”_

 

* * *

 

 

Aria huffed in amusement as Tsunayoshi threw himself on the couch. She also sat herself next to him before finally coming to a decision.

 _Well_ , she thought, _he probably already knows it, but it’s still a friend’s duty to scold a mistake._

“Tsunayoshi-kun. You probably destroyed any chance you might have had for him to give you consent to be the sky of his son.” She stated neutrally. The brunet sighed in answer before closing his eyes.

“I know. It’s just that… It was so overwhelming. One second, I enter a sushi shop happily with my friends, the next, I’m suddenly assaulted with the knowledge that ‘That boy. That one, he’s so perfect. Such perfect rain, torrent.’, ‘But his mother. She doesn’t know of his father. Of that hitman whose natural abilities have all passed onto her son. And she will leave for it.’” Tsuna explained tiredly.

“And my prediction had any effect?” She asked.

“Of course, it did. I can’t judge an event so far away that has nothing to do with the present situation, there is no way I could have known about an accidental fire to happen after a whole year in some random hotel. That’s your job.” He laughed. “Yamamoto Misaki, after a fight with her husband over her insult to the enjoyment her son showed to swordplay and fighting in general, will leave the house to cool her head. She will die in a fire that started by mistake in her hotel kitchen the very same night.”

Aria nodded. That was, word for word, the exact same prediction she had told him in the restaurant. It wasn’t her place to decide what to do when it was Tsuna’s future rain guardian concerned, after all.

Tsuna opened his mouth for what was most likely going to be a question but suddenly, the sound of a timer sounded out and the door was thrown wide open a few seconds later.

“Here you go, children!” A very dishevelled looking Nana chimed as she stormed into the living-room, destroying any semblance of a serious atmosphere (The mother had that weird effect), “I have some cookies fresh out of the oven. Enjoy!”

Aria only had enough time to thank her before she was dashing right back out. The girl sat still for one second, then two, before turning to Tsuna and looking bewildered for a few more seconds.

“Why is she so colourful?” Was blurted out in the end, her usual grace forgotten in the face of a Nana with purple face, three-coloured hair and a previously-white apron now in different hues of red and orange.

And Tsuna didn’t even seem confused! How Aria envied the brunet’s ability for that elegant look of fond amusement. No surprise, no shock, just warmth and expectation.

On a second thought, maybe she didn’t.

“Trust me, it will be much more amazing if you don’t know it.” He laughed. Aria wondered why that made her sad.

“So, anyway,” Tsuna started again, “I know that I changed some important things, but can you just tell me one more thing?” He waited a little before deciding to specify, “Do I– Did I change my future guardian?”

Aria hesitated there. This was a difficult decision. To tell someone about their direct future could, would, change the whole future timeline.

It would go against everything her mother stood for, everything she had planned on standing for when she came to power. It would be, put delicately, shitting on the favour Fate gave them by showing them the future, because not even the omnipotent Fate could go against what logic dictated cold or could not happen, so by according the present to prevent the future...

It would be changing existence for their personal gain or satisfaction, Mamma would explain. _No_ , she would say, _Fate guides us all in her ever-present plans, you will know when it is your time._

Being the Sky Arcobaleno was being an observer to the flow of reality in the universe, not taking the ropes from the omnipresent, only to botch the existence.

So she shook her head and told her fellow Sky:

“No. Your rain is still Yamamoto Takeshi, just as your cloud is Hibari Kyouya.”

Because whatever her mother had stood for, she had already left behind. She wouldn’t be wearing that white dress anymore. _The Sky Arcobaleno_ was not Aria Giglio-Nero.

 _Aria Giglio-Nero_ was the Sky Arcobaleno.

And she would shit on Fate’s plans only to create her own, _this_ was her desire.

She would see the birth of her child, then her second, maybe even third. She would have a son and let him live. She would not care about inheritance issues. She would see her children’s weddings. She would see her grandchildren. She would not leave friends and family with a ‘You Won’t See Me Ever Again.’. She would not condemn the man she loved, the people who she had left to suffer alone.

She would not die just because nobody had thought to question rules that stayed at the beginning of time, never changing; rules that gave only mediocre results, taking one’s suffering for another’s satisfaction, promising only the continuance of existence but not it’s progression.

 So, yes, Aria would shit on Fate. And she would, just as readily, shit on the Tri-ni-sette.

 

* * *

 

 

That day, the Sawada household was quiet. The two woman seemed to have catched the boy's sad mood and so very few words were spoken. After informing her mother, he wore the dark clothes he had prepared before hand and left the house with a quiet ‘I'm off.’, walking through the empty streets towards their meeting point. Aria had stayed home to help her mother in her newly acquired obsession with baking.

While the six-year-old might have been his dear friend, the brunet knew that she was not welcome in this.

“Fluffy-Herbivore.” He heard when he arrived before the church. The raven-head nodded at him before turning around in a silent signal to follow.

“Hibari.” Tsuna acknowledged just as shortly, following the Skylark without a sound. It wasn’t because they were brief per se; it was just that Hibari wouldn’t appreciate any conversations today.

And with good reason, the brunet thought, today was the funeral of Hibari Ichirou and Hibari Shi Yun. The arrangement was that they were to be almost immediately buried, with little to no wait before. Hibari had decided that they waited long enough in the morgue.

Thankfully, Kusakabe managed to find a neutral priest who didn’t share the same opinion with most of the town, so they could have an official Christian funeral for them.

“Kusakabe-san.” Tsuna greeted as the fourth, and final as they all knew, person arrived inside the church.

With everyone there, the priest started the service, reading from what the Sky thought must be the Bible. Tsuna stood still for the whole duration, watching the silent Hibari.

And even Tsuna, who didn’t really know about Christian funerals, could see that it was way too short. Maybe there was supposed to be some talking done by the guests? Because neither he nor Kusakabe had known the Hibari couple and Hibari was in no shape to make a speech.

“We therefore commit their bodies to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.”

They were all quiet, the clouds shadowing everything and creating sombre darkness. With just four people there, the wide cemetery looked so empty. It was the single most tragic thing Tsuna had experienced. Hibari had briefly looked around, pale and expressionless, while the coffins were being lowered and whatever it was that he had wanted to see, he hadn’t.

The Cloud then stayed fixed, hands clenched and head bowed, before the now closed graves. Even after the priest left, after the before covered sky opened up in a cheery blue (The heavens didn’t even have the decency to cry for a child left alone), he stood right there, not budging.

So they didn’t move him. The brunet bowed his head like the Cloud, brushed his sholuder to the raven-head's and stayed there, hoping to at least be some measure of comfort.

After more than thirty minutes of standing, Hibari finally opened his mouth.

“Father liked attention.” He started, seemingly irrelevantly, “Mother had always laughed at him, saying that she would, by force if necessary, make his like an emperor’s funeral. With thousands of guests crying.”

“She didn’t follow her promise like a carnivore. They couldn’t even manage that much. It wasn’t just father; they are both Herbivores. Only herbivores break the rules, just to end up destroying their own dreams.”

“Hibari-kun…” Kusakabe started, only to be interrupted by Hibari who now looked murderous.

“Don’t call me that.” He growled, “I won’t be called by such an herbivorous name.”

“Kyouya,” Tsuna tried, doing everything in his power to keep his face neutral, “What are you going to do now?”

Kyouya looked unsure perhaps only for the duration of one millisecond before steely resolve not unlike the day he had taken his revenge sharpened his eyes. He then, rather dramatically, turned around and started to leave.

“I’m going to keep the mindless herbivores that can’t not self-destruct in line. If they can’t obey the rules for their own good, then _I’ll_ make the herbivores obey them.”

_Like someone should have done for Mother and Father._

Tsuna, once again, had no doubt that Namimori would either change in the wake of his Cloud, or Kyouya would destroy them trying to resist.

And the only thing left for the Sky to do was to keep him from becoming a lone cloud, the lonesome dictator standing all by himself on the top. Well, that was, almost, what friends were for anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay chapter! And thus ends the Cloud Arc! Not that we won't be seeing anymore of Kyouya, on the contrary, he will be forever there!  
> And the introduction of, not really Takeshi yet but, the Rain!  
> Also, some more of Aria came out as well, she will continue being important, definitely. And what is Nana trying to do?! You'll see next chap!  
> Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it!


	7. The Pranks

(- _They are all hidden_ -) Was the report Intuition gave him when he reached for the door knob.

Tsuna already knew, of course. He had been seeing the signs of it since a month ago.

(- _They are going to jump up_ -)

“Happy birthday Tsuna!”

The brunet smiled at them, warm and happy. The lack of surprise meant nothing in the wake of so much love and effort.

(- _She hates it. She worked so hard on the surprise. It was all for the sake of proving you huma_ –)

_Shut up._

(- _She knows that you knew it. She only has one more hope, the cake, to surprise you. As you knew that as well, she will start an obsession over your lack of normal_ –)

_SHUT UP!_

But telling the Hyper Intuition to shut up was not unlike telling someone not to think of a pineapple. Just made you _think_ of one. After all, if you focused on one thing, whether positively or negatively, your brain (or intuition) worked on that.

“Well, I guess we _were_ a bit too obvious about the party…” Mama said with a strained smile, “But I have one more surprise for you!”

The five layered rainbow-coloured cake was no surprise. The brunet had seen her working on the colour scheme since months, even before Aria’s arrival. Still, she had definitely worked hard on it.

“Thank you, Mama.” Tsuna said in awe (it _was_ most impressive), “It’s incredible. I love it.”

“I'm… glad you like it…” Mama murmured.

(- _She will ask for help from your Mafia father. She will decide that she can’t do it alone when you don’t ever get surprised. She will use any and all means she can to get him come home_ -)

_…I know._

So he would soon meet that irresponsible father of his.

 

* * *

 

“Well, Fluffy-Herbivore. Explain.” Kyouya demanded. The Herbivore had evaded it long enough. If he changed the subject one more time, Kyouya was finally going to bash his head into the wall with the beloved steel tonfas.

And the brunet must have known this as well, because he pushed the half eaten cake on the porch and slowly sat next to Kyouya.

“I guess I need to start right from the beginning.” The Fluffy-Herbivore sighed, toeing the grass below him, “You see, Kyouya, the world uses some… erm, rather _unscientific_ methods to keep running. The entirety of existence is actually powered by a sort of energy called Dying Will Flames. This is an energy generated by all humans; in different forms and concentrations but by all humans none the less.”

Okay. Dying Will Flames. He could deal with that. Kyouya was nothing if not adaptable. And besides, the Fluffy-Herbivore wouldn’t lie to him, Kyouya knew.

“It’s the spirit you could say. The spirit that gives one life. And when that someone supposedly wants something more than anything, forsaking everything else in their lives for just that one thing, as if it was their last will, then the ‘sprit’ burns, giving this someone the power. Thus Dying Will Flames.”

“Well, this is only supposedly, because for someone with a lot of this ‘spirit’, they wouldn’t need anything but a relatively strong resolve to start burning. And their exhausted Flames would recover after a while too.”

Fluffy-Herbivore stopped, looking at Kyouya as if to ask if he had followed so far. But Kyouya only had one question.

“Fluffy-Herbivore. What does this have to do with you _knowing_ or the danger of it?” He asked softly, still throwing a passing glare at the Herbivore in case he was averting the subject again.

“I'm getting there, Kyouya.” The brunet laughed, “You need to know about the Flames before anything else. Anyway, basically speaking, the Dying Will Flames are the burning of one’s will to live. Someone who doesn’t have it would likely suicide or something.”

“Everyone can use them?” Then why weren’t they public knowledge?

“No, they can’t. You need a huge amount of ‘spirit’ to safely use Dying Will Flames. And the knowledge of them is strictly regulated too…”

And the explanation continued on like this, with Kyouya asking scarce questions and the brunet explaining the Flames, the Vongola, the Tri-ni-sette, the powers it gave; the Hyper Intuition and how it depended on three sets of Flame Families.

“Flame Families?” Kyouya prompted, noticing that Fluffy-Herbivore hadn’t explained neither them nor these ‘sets’ he talked about.

“Remember how I said there were different forms of Flame for everyone?” He asked rhetorically before continuing, “There are specifically seven types; Storm, Rain, Lightning, Cloud, Sun and Mist are Guardian types. Then there is the Sky, Skies are the… centre, the one that all the other Elements are collected under. Anyways, when at least six different Elements are Harmonized with a Sky, they form a Set, or a Flame Family. But these are uncommon, because Skies are very rare. Like, one in ten million rare.”

“What are you then?” Kyouya asked, already having an inkling as to the answer. Because if the brunet was assigned one adjective, that would be ‘unique’.

“I'm a Sky.” Obviously. “And you are a Cloud, as far as I know.” Which was honestly very very far, as far as _Kyouya_ knew.

 The fluffy-herbivore looked unsure for a second before hastily adding; “I don’t have any Guardians yet… But if you’re alright with it, I would like you to be my Cloud.”

That stilled Kyouya. He didn’t really know what being someone’s Cloud meant, though being someone’s _anything_ made him itch to draw blood. And this Guardian thing sounded permanent. Unnervingly permanent.

The only silver lining was that Fluffy-Herbivore sounded nervous. That probably meant that he didn’t know the outcome, that it could end either way. That this was Kyouya’s decision.

It was so very reassuring in ways that Kyouya couldn’t even begin to explain.

“If you don’t want to–” The brunet started after a long silence.

“What does being a Cloud mean?” Kyouya interrupted, because this was… It was the Fluffy-Herbivore. Kyouya owed him some favours anyway.

“Well, nothing complicated.” The Herbivore smiled, “You protect me and mine, I do the same for you. Stereotypically, Clouds stay more distant than the other Elements, but there isn’t anything specific they have to do. And while Skies are shown to be leaders or bosses, honestly speaking there isn’t even a requirement that the Elements obey them.”

“Fluffy-Herbivore. Aren’t I your Cloud already?” Kyouya dead-panned. ‘Being a Cloud’ wasn’t any different from what he already did.

“Ermm…” The brunet flushed, “We probably are already Harmonized if you think like that…”

Wao. That was more open emotion than Kyouya had seen from the Fluffy-Herbivore for a whole week. This must be a very delicate situation for him. Or maybe his Intuition wasn’t working. (For some reason, the last one sounded way too far-fetched even to the Carnivore)

 “Is that all?” He asked, just to be sure.

“Yes, mostly.” The brunet answered, “If we really did Harmonize, you will feel a Bond after you start accessing your Flames. Nothing actually binding though, just a feeling of peace when we’re near and it will kind of alert the other if one is in danger.”

That was… Well, it was Not Nice. With capitals. Kyouya could feel his resolve slowly draining away. But it also wasn’t really… _horrible_. Nothing actually binding, Kyouya reminded himself, just the usual sense of calm Fluffy-Herbivore gave, plus an alert and a tracking device. And he could still break the Bond, it wasn’t unchangeable.

“Okay. Fluffy-Herbivore, I will allow you to be my Sky.” If Kyouya couldn’t get rid of it when he wanted to, he would at worst bite the Herbivore to death, anyways. Nothing too permanent.

Fluffy-Herbivore beamed at him and Kyouya had the feeling that, whatever malfunction the brunet’s Intuition had had before, the Herbivore knew what he was thinking right then.

It was a weirdly warm, accepted kind of feeling.

 

* * *

 

Tsuna woke up the next day to a ceiling of sunset. And walls of carrots. And orange carpets.

Basically, his whole room had been painted in various shades of his favourite colour overnight.

The brunet sighed in his neon orange blankets and wondered if he could forget everything and just go back to sleep.

“Ts –hahaha– Tsu-kuuunn! Ah-ahahaha…” Mama called while trying to stop laughing.

Such was the horrors of having a tenacious mother bent on shocking you. And to think that this would last for _months_.

He grabbed a special something to add to Mama’s next prank and went down stairs, preparing himself for the horrors he would see.

 

* * *

 

Apparently, no amount of foresight and expectation could prepare you for some specific things.

Tsuna stood in front of the open kitchen door taking in the hilarious and not just a little traumatic sight before him. And he fell on his knees gasping in laughter.

Kyouya sat at the kitchen table, looking close to bolting but staying because of the hamburger steak Mama was no doubt cooking for him. She had taken to this “stray cat like friend of her Tsu-kun” immediately after learning of his story. Not to mention that she had started mother-hening him right away, earning Kyouya’s reluctant fondness. Tsuna couldn’t be more grateful, honestly.

But, clearly, every kindness came with a price. And said price was obviously this very… uniquely dressed Kyouya.

The stray cat metaphor had never before been this accurate.

“Oh god… This is perfect.” Tsuna giggl– chuckled. Very manly. “Nice cat ears Kyouya.”

“Hn.” The cat-cosplayer grunted. Being the sympathetic friend he was, the brunet laughed some more before putting a furry-black jacket on the already very darkly dressed boy’s shoulders.

“There. Now it’s even better.” Tsuna beamed and earned himself a very betrayed looking glare that promised future retribution.

“Fluffy-Herbivore.” Kyouya growled. Some more glaring.

“Fluffy-Carnivore.” Tsuna grinned back.

This wasn’t becoming such a bad day after all.

Mama looked half smug, half resigned the whole time.

 

* * *

 

“I’ll be leaving today.” She informed her friend sadly.

“So you’re finally going to…” He muttered, fortunately, his pity was well hidden. Aria wouldn’t have wanted to get so out of character as to punch a four-year-old.

“Yeah. The world needing a Sky Arcobaleno at all times and all…” She answered, “But I'll keep in touch. Here, take this.”

Aria handed Tsunayoshi a piece of paper as she explained; “This is my private phone number. Only for friends and family so I'll either hear it or get it in message form. That’s not likely though, so call me if there’s _anything_ you need. _At all_.”

“Aria-san, thank you.” Tsunayoshi didn’t refuse. He had known about it already, that cheater.

“You will absolutely keep in touch, Tsunayoshi-kun. I got your home number from Nana-san and gave mine to your little Cloud.” She laughed. Aria wasn’t taking any chances with this irreplaceable comrade of hers.

And Tsunayoshi, that cheeky little Sky, he laughed right back at her. Well, it was less mocking and more friendly but still, where was the respect for his elders?

“I will. I definitely will. And you’ll warn me if you See anything important about the future?” He asked seriously. Like there was a need to ask, she was _waaay_ past keeping Fate hidden at this point.

“Of course. And so will you. Well then, this is farewell, Tsunayoshi-kun.” Aria answered.

“No, Aria-san. This is ‘See you soon.’.” The brunet said, eyes flashing to that Sky Orange that Aria found admirable. Really, how literal could a child be? But it was one of Tsunayoshi’s good points, she decided, very charming.

“Whatever. See you soon, Tsunayoshi-kun.” Aria waved, heading to the taxi waiting in front of the house. She would at least meet her escort at the airport, it was only fair; she had surely created much panic for her Family during that one week she was here.

“Good bye, Aria-san, see you soon.” Tsunayoshi waved back before going back inside. And hopefully, they really would see each other soon. Kindred spirits _were_ hard to find.

 

* * *

 

The whole time after that, Tsuna was subjected to various pranks curtesy of Nana. Each day, they grew more and more outrageous, more and more bizarre.

But he knew of them, of course he did. So Nana kept clinging on the strands of her hope and ceaselessly pranked him.

It was shameful, she knew. For her to act this immature when her son would just smile and go through it. But she couldn’t stop.

It hadn’t always been this way; she had before been focused on the fact that Tsuna would sometimes just… just _know_. Although her son always acted like this, she hadn’t realized, had tried not to realize, that it was a constant and bottomless knowledge of everything that happened. Like a God. Or a Demon.

She had ignored it. She had endured. Just like she did for her husband. Just like she had done for her mother when the woman came home with bruises. She turned a blind eye.

But they weren’t living with her 24/7. They weren't her son. So when Nana had some silent peace to just stop and think after a day of chores, it was always always the never-changing default face of her son that plagued her mind.

It was the way other four-year-olds cried and screamed and gaped. The way they laughed freely and whined just as easily. The way her Tsuna never would do so.

It was how it became harder and harder to ignore the worry she had for his lack of expressions and abundance of knowledge. The fear she had of those once beloved amber orbs.

It was how it now seemed to her like the amber would one day take over the brown and then Tsuna wouldn’t be her son anymore because only _humans_ had mothers.

But she still violently smothered the urge to get Iemitsu home. She would bring out the expressions hidden deep within her son. Even if she had to wake up at three a.m. in the morning and paint some walls. Nana wasn’t some useless needy wife that couldn’t keep her family happy without her husband.

So she wouldn’t deceive Iemitsu to come home until she most definitely and with absolute certainty knew that she couldn’t handle her son anymore.

(She ignored her idle wondering of when their son had become just hers.)

For now, she would prank like her life depended on it. (Or like her son’s life did.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, some of you might have realized it already, but we're coming to the end of the first main arc. And this chapter is kinda the prologue of the end of Nana's POV in the first chapter.
> 
> This chapter is somewhat fast paced, huh. I'm not really satisfied with it but oh well.
> 
> Also, about Nana not getting Iemitsu to come home; she knows what to say to get him there. She isn't exactly stupid as to all the hints he drops. She just doesn't want to be useless. And if you remember the first chapter, Nana keeps asking Iemitsu about Tsuna's intuition but he just doesn't really realize it. So she decides that either she will solve this herself, or she will do anything in her power to get him home to see Tsuna.
> 
> And Aria's gone! But she definitely won't dissapear.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and please leave your thoughts before leaving yourself! Thanx for reading!


	8. The Passing Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... Hello? I really really apologise for the long wait. I have no other excuse than the fact that I lost my muse for long months and hopped from fandom to fandom in hopes of getting it back, before finally finding it this week. I also apologise for any rustiness and/or plotpoint not matching the previous chapters, it's been a long time.
> 
> Now then, I already said before - I remember thank god - that this arc is coming to a close. And it is, the next chapter is the end of Arc 1 : Knowledge. With it comes Arc 2 : Intuition. 
> 
> Anyways. I will soon let you all continue on to the chapter, but please bear with me. I THANK EVERYONE WHO COMMENTED, KUDOED AND BOOKMARKED. I know this generalization is usually not very flattering, as I'm also a reader, but it's true. The constant flow of kudos and bookmarks let me know that people hadn't left my fic in some dark corner of the fandom, and the comments - a long review, a 'please come back', a simple 'this is nice' or a confession to following the fic - gave me life. They gave this fic life and I cannot overstate it enough; THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Those are what made me come back to this fic. (^-^)
> 
> So, without further ado, please enjoy! XD

 

Masato sighed as he climbed up the stairs to the previously guest room that was, for more than a year now, Hi—Kyouya’s. His wife had declared that she absolutely refused to wake him up, so it was currently his job. They had fought about that for a long time. And this was only one fight among many.

Although he knew better than to blame the boy for it, it was hard, especially when his wife got more and more cutting in her arguments.

_‘His mother would have strangled our son in his sleep. Why should we take care of hers?’_ Her voice repeated in his memory.

_‘Why are we spending so much money on that beast? It’s as if you adopted him, and without any of my approval too, I must say.’_

_‘You spend no time with Tetsu nowadays. It’s always Hibari this, Hibari that.’_

_‘It’s your fault our son is starting to become harder and harder to handle. He has no loving role-model with him all because you love that psycho of a child more than your actual family!’_

And while it was true that he was spending less time with Tetsuya, there wasn’t anything to be done. _Someone_ needed to take care of Kyouya, and his wife had made it clear that it wouldn't be her.

(And maybe, just maybe, Masato was starting to like the little hellion.)

He walked across the hall and stood before the room to knock. He had learned fast that if he suddenly barged into the room, Kyouya would without a single regret slam him down on the floor with his heavy steel tonfas —that definitely used to be Masato’s but what does Kyouya care?

_“I still don’t like you… I'll do it but I won't like it.”_

Masato paused. That was Tetsuya’s voice; young and soft but very deep for an eight-years-old. Were they fighting? He couldn't imagine his son picking on someone so much smaller, even if said boy was stronger than he looked. Should he stop it?

_“I don't care about your herbivorous emotions. We have a deal.”_

_“I just have to convince them to tell me whatever they see, right? Nothing else.”_

_“Hn.”_

_“Okay. And I'll report it to you. Just keep them away from me... Kyouya-san.”_

_“Hn. The herbivores won't bother you again.”_

Masato hid a smile behind his hand: this was a conversation to worry about later, sure, but for now, he was more than a little relieved at his two favourite little boys getting along.

...As well as a wary eight-years-old and his vicious monstrous temporary brother could anyways.

 

* * *

 

 

The day that Tetsuya learned about Hibari Kyouya having a friend was an odd, odd day. One he had never expected to see.

His now-boss/protector/unofficial temporary little brother had always seemed emotionless to him and the older boy had –as per his mother’s counsel— done everything to avoid him in the house. The Hibaris in general were legendary for their evil, they had been used more than a few times to scare him off to bed. Was it any surprise that when his dad brought their son home to stay, Tetsuya was shocked and –admittedly—a little scared? He didn’t think so.

Thankfully though, his fears hadn’t been realized and it did –now that he thought about it—make sense; no small child could be expected to eat human flesh and breathe fire, not even a Hibari. This had somewhat lulled Tetsuya into thinking that his family had settled back, now just with four people. A child was after all more adaptable than anyone else.

He had been wrong.

For almost fifteen months now, his mom and dad couldn’t talk a word without fighting loudly and –almost always—violently; mom would hold him tight and smothering, always somewhere in the background no matter what he was doing; and his father was becoming more and more of a distant figure as he tried to do all the things that mom wouldn’t for Hibari. Tetsuya had, predictably, built quite the silent resentment for the boy.

But it all changed when he realized that the raven-head was the magic, all-encompassing solution to his much more pressuring problems. Not that he was an easy solution to use for Tetsuya; Hibari was the main reason for the overblown temper tantrum that he had thrown a month ago and had rapidly come back to bite him in the butt. Just the thought of going to the person that indirectly caused his problem for help made him flush in indignity.

But the new ‘friends’ he had made, just in an attempt to stop mom from her controlling ways and to make dad once again interested in his life, were more of the shadier groups that mom always warned him away from. And although they didn’t normally take in the elementary school kids, that was unless said kid had an in with the local horror story villain. Which Tetsuya did have.

Hibari Kyouya had by then, about eight months ago, started to become something of a small-time legend, beating up gangsters and thugs and the lesser yakuza left and right. Tetsuya’s new ‘friends’ always seemed to have a ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ that might get bitten to death by him, and they never lacked people who they actually wanted to be beaten up either.

Unfortunately, after realizing that the eight-year-old _didn’t_ have the means to order this force of nature around, things had taken a sudden turn for the worst for Tetsuya. And so that was how he ended up having to beg the Hibari for a favour.

His plan had been to get the violent newly-dubbed Demon of Namimori to show his ‘friends’ why they shouldn’t bully Tetsuya but…

“ _Be my informant, Herbivore. Report to me anything that happens, collect more contacts and make an information network. I’ll take you under my wing._ ”

…this new arrangement wasn’t so bad either. He didn’t like Hibari, nor did he like having to obey the boy, but this way he had his permanent protection. And, to be honest with himself, it made him feel not just a little bit useful and important to have such a high position in Hibari’s Serious Businesses.

Besides, after learning what an ‘information network’ was and how it was formed, Tetsuya had a remarkably easy time forming one in school. So, it was both a fun job _and_ a rewarding one.

But anyways, learning that his new boss had a fluffy little child as his best friend was an absolutely bizarre experience. Learning about the activities the two partook in and inevitably involved Tetsuya in? Not so much.

He barely batted an eye when Kyouya-san ordered him to find all he could about some random pre-school kid named Yamamoto Takeshi; he had been asked weirder things. He was also Totally Chill when his boss and his fluffy friend—now-named ‘Tsuna-san’— dragged him along to stalk the kid. Tetsuya was admittedly a little proud about how fast he was getting used to things.

They stuck around the park for a few hours, watching Yamamoto play baseball with an amount of bored dedication that bordered what one might give homework, and Tsuna-san seemed to get more and more hopeful with every minute that passed without incident. And then, as if to mock his hopes, Yamamoto Takeshi looked around to see if anyone was watching, didn’t find them or anyone else, hid his bag under some bushes and wandered into the trees.

Tetsuya had been expecting to find that the fluffy brunet crushed, with how high he seemed to be getting his hopes up, and blinked in surprise when he looked merely resigned. The boy muttered something that Tetsuya judged was “…We can’t do anything useful here.” and got up to leave.

Kyouya-san patted the brunet once in consolation and Tsuna-san just smiled at the raven-head.

Although they all separated shortly after that, Tetsuya still couldn’t help but feel curious and maybe willing to reconsider his opinion of this new boss of his.

 

* * *

 

 

Takeshi looked down at his hands. They looked so dirty you couldn't see the skin under it. He was doomed. Mom was going to be so angry at him. Except maybe, if he managed to evade her and find Dad first he could get cleaned up and—and...

Oh, who was he kidding? Mom was definitely going to find out.

He should have stuck to playing baseball.

Takeshi mentally kicked himself as he walked through the dirt paths leading out of the park. He should have stuck to baseball, then he could have gone home clean and proud, and Mom would praise him and Dad would keep smiling and they wouldn't fight again.

But _nooo_. Just because he was tired of baseball today, he had decided to explore some.

_Stupid Takeshi_ , he thought, _I don't want to play baseball today. But I should have._

In the end, though, he hadn't. And that was all he had to work with. He tried to think of a good way to make this situation better somehow and ended up stumbling on the sidewalk when a thought struck him.

_Should he have called the ambulance?_

He glanced once again at the blood dripping from his hands. Would Mom want him to call or not? She would, right? She always said to call them if someone got hurt.

She might not want it though. She hated it when Takeshi bragged about his fights. She hated it when people heard about it too...

He wavered on his spot but finally kept heading straight home, deciding not to bother. Those men in the park were horrible, horrible people for kicking a sick puppy anyways, they didn't deserve an ambulance. Takeshi had only knocked them down.

Losing a little blood wouldn’t hurt them, right?

 

* * *

 

 

Only minutes later, a few hours into the afternoon, Tsuyoshi tried to keep stern eyes on his bloodied son. He failed. There had been a part of his life when he used to praise apprentices for things like this and it was harder than he had ever expected to break habit.

“What did your mother say about fighting, Takeshi?” He asked pointedly instead, somehow managing to not sound proud.

His son kicked at the ground, huffed and admitted; “Not to. But dad—”

“It’s not to me the excuses should go.” Tsuyoshi reminded. _He_ didn’t mind the fighting, not at all. In fact, once upon a time, he had even wanted to teach the Shigure Soen Ryu to his son— though the mother had talked him out of it. He dearly wanted to encourage Takeshi to fighting, and winning. And even if it wasn't with his sword style that his son won those fights, the assassin in him couldn't help but approve of the victory.

But he was a civilian now, or was supposed to be one, and he deferred to Tsukiko on these matters.

“I was thinking, Dad...” Takeshi started, small hope shining in his puppy-eyes, “Maybe we could, maybe not tell Mom? Maybe? I mean not _lie_... just... if she _doesn't_ _ask_... you know...”

…He deferred to Tsukiko on these matters. He _did_. Tsuyoshi was strong. Tsuyoshi was determined. He had the willpower of a thousand suns. He was an impenetrable iron wall. He wasn’t affected by _puppy_ _eyes_ , of all things. He was…

“Depends.” He gave in, to the grinning whoop of his son, “What did you do?”

“Well, there were two men... From a high school, I think? And I was exploring the park because I took a break from baseball. And they were kicking the small white puppy – the one we feed, remember? The sick one? — and they shouldn’t do that so I tried to stop them. But they got angry and the blond one tried to punch me so I found a stick and fought them like I play baseball and won! It was fun!”

The swordsman grinned back at his son, a warm thrum of pride in his chest despite the small nagging in his mind that he couldn’t seem to put a finger on. But he eventually managed to school his face back to a frown; “And what about those teenagers?”

Takeshi blinked, tilted his head, “What about them?”

“How are they? What did you do to them?”

“Oh. That’s, they’re sleeping in the park…” He sheepishly rubbed the base of his neck, a habit that so clearly took after his mother just like his baseball talent that Tsuyoshi couldn’t help but appreciate the similarity, “Ermm… I hit them with the stick and they purpled a bit, and the black haired one has cuts and…”

Well. _This_ trait was all his father’s. “ _And_ …”

“…there’s a hole?”

“A hole.” Tsuyoshi parroted. His son nodded, still sheepish. “Where?”

“…” Takeshi muttered quietly. At his reproving gaze, he repeated louder; “…in the throat?”

There it was again, that feeling of alarm. Only this time, Tsuyoshi knew to associate it with sharp orange eyes and an ominous warning he hadn’t wanted to believe in. _“Don’t let your wife know.”_ The small child had said. _Don’t let her know_.

Apparently, he hadn’t left his job behind when he hung Shigure Kintoki for sushi blades. Apparently, the instincts and thoughts he had buried beneath the love he felt for a civilian woman could still haunt him through his son.

(And the worst thing yet was; Tsuyoshi was _so proud_. His son had, however unknowingly, accomplished his first kill. He was a _man_ now.)

A crash resounded in the empty restaurant. His head snapped up to see Tsukiko standing frozen under the doorway, her grocery bags lying crumpled on the ground.

_Damn it._

 

* * *

 

 

In what Tsuna knew would be the last day before a huge turnabout in his life —though not even the Intuition could tell how and wasn’t that disconcerting— Mama sat down in front of him, settling in the couch. The brunet took the cup of tea she offered silently and she sipped from hers as they both waited for the other to start. It was her, as expected; she was the one who needed this the most.

_(-This is going to be important.-)_

“Tsu-kun?” She asked, Tsuna giving her an inquiring look back, “You know that Mama loves you right?”

“Of course, Mama.” He said, giving a smile and she answered with one of her own before her expression turned a little strained.

“Do you… And do you love Mama back?” She tried in a quiet voice that broke his heart more than the question itself. The brunet left the teacup, got up to go near to her and nestled next to her in the armchair he and his mother were barely small enough to fit together— because who gave _anything_ about maturity when your Mama asked something like this.

“Of _course_.” He assured, hoping the change of tone would get through her insecurities when words might not. It seemed to work, his mother’s shoulders lifted up as the heavy weight of her thoughts lifted off.

“I’m going to… ask something important, okay Tsu-kun?” She started and Tsuna nodded to her. “You know those times when something happens and— and you know more about it than norm— _other_ people could… like, well, like magic? Does it happen a lot? Every time? All the time?”

“…What do you mean, Mama?” He asked, trying to ignore how his Hyper Intuition saw no need to automatically answer him. Trying to ignore how he already knew the answer.

“Tsu-kun, how much do you know?” She sighed, sounding uncertain and weary and the brunet almost wanted to flail in panic, because _this situation_? This was one maze he didn’t know the way out. There were only two options; he could lie, or he could confirm her fears. Dead ends, both of them.

_(—Lie. Lielielielie—)_

But he didn’t _want_ to. This was his mother. His _Mama_. The one he had always told everything to, even if she never noticed it. The one who was always with him when is useless father was out doing something Intuition still couldn’t puzzle out. And this fear Mama seemed to have accumulated couldn’t even _dent_ the fact that he was still very much his mother’s boy.

_(-Lie. It will be for the best, you will get one more week, one more week to prepare, to get ready, it will be best for you, it—)_

And the last one decided it for him.

“I…” Tsuna said, gulped and attempted again; “I don’t know everything…”

She smiled completely happy for the first time this month and the brunet had never before wanted to hide his eyes —the eyes he knew must be flashing between orange and brown as Intuition tried make its point known— so much before.

He swallowed again, trying to get through the lump in his throat to add a small; “…yet.”

His mother’s whole face fell with her crushed hopes. He could see how obvious she was in avoiding looking at him in the eye.

_(-It’s tomorrow.-)_ Hyper Intuition resounded.

It was tomorrow. The day Iemitsu and his boss would come home, the day that would be completely _known_ but would somehow, _somehow_ derail so much from his expectations that he could only get a vague inkling as to how much it would change his life.


End file.
